By Peter Roesler

President, Web Marketing Pros

Just like websites, it’s important that social media networks update their look so they don’t become stale. Facebook, Twitter have already made major changes to their layouts this year and now LinkedIn is doing the same. This post will explain the new changes to LinkedIn profile and how this disorder can use it to market themselves and their company.

The LinkedIn update takes a page from the layouts of other major platforms by giving users a larger profile picture and the option to add a cover photo. LinkedIn has also included the “Open” setting which allows premium members’ profiles to be viewed by LinkedIn members outside their network.

“Whether you’re a new graduate or a seasoned professional, how you are viewed professionally matters,” the company wrote in a post announcing the changes. “LinkedIn has always been a place where you can come to manage your professional brand and to put your best foot forward. And, starting today, we’ve sweetened the pot for all new and existing premium members with additional functionality to help you stand out from the crowd and drive the right and relevant opportunities to you.”

The updated profile picture has the same ratio as it did before, so a user’s current picture will still work. For the new cover photos, the image has to less than 4MB in size. A resolution of 1400 px x 425 px works best. Keep in mind that the profile summary sits on top of the background photo so it won’t all be visible at once. For users who are having trouble thinking of something, there are generic sample images that can be used to inspire creativity or an easy way out of designing something..

One thing that sets LinkedIn apart from most of the other social media sites is that users have to pay to use certain profile features or to access the full range of LinkedIn options. This allows LinkedIn to monetize its platform in a way besides ad sales. For now, the new profile changes will be available only to premium members. This is an added incentive for users to pay for premium subscriptions that also grants them increased visibility in search results, InMail access to members who are otherwise unreachable, and several other benefits that are only available to premium subscribers. Everyone else will have to wait for the changes to be rolled out in a few months.

LinkedIn has also created a new, low-priced subscription service called Premium Spotlight that only costs $9.99 per month. Users who get this service will see their profile twice as large as other results in searches on LinkedIn. They will also have the option to make their profile “open” so that every LinkedIn member can see their profile even those who are already a part of it at work for free. There’s also a backlist feature that will let users see who has viewed their profile in the past 90 days, as well as a ranking system that shows how the user compares against the first-degree connections in their company.

LinkedIn’s newest updates will make the platform that much more appealing to business owners and professionals who use LinkedIn for networking and marketing. At the low price of $10 per month, users who aren’t already premium subscribers should seriously consider getting the Premium Spotlight package. Besides getting a several-month advantage on the new profile features, there are a lot of other good reasons for using the premium service. For other reasons why business owners should embrace LInkedIn read this article on our site.